Travel Diaries Ug

Featured

BENEFITS OF LEISURE TOURISM.

Tourism is a broad industry with a number of sectors including wildlife and nature, culture, community, historical sites and Leisure.

The country bennefits mostly from Leisure tourism it being the number one activity ugandans are good at!

Well,Leisure tourism has continued to advance in Uganda over time,with a number of exotic activities being introduced in the Ugandan tourism industry.

However these are not just leisure activities to be enjoyed and left to that,they help alot in the functionality of the human body.

below are a few activities to be enjoyed in Uganda under Leisure tourism.

HIKING:

As much as it might seem aimless and tiresome to you,but hiking is more than just a walk, leave alone sightseeing as you trek on, hiking increases the body metabolism,and accelerates your heartbeat,leaving your body healthy and cholestrol free.

Hiking also helps release stress,as you listen to the sweet sounds of nature,watching the birds sore into the air worry free.a wise man always said nature heals.

WALL CLIMBING:

The wall is built in a way that provides the participant with patches and sometime holes where they grip themselves as they take on the challenge, it helps in exercising the body, releasing stress, and concentration.

PAINT BALLING/TARGET RANGE SHOOTING:

During this particular activity, the participant, focuses their energy on the target.it is a great activity to take on if you have been under a lot of pressure, with work demand, it helps you let go of the options and focus on a sole goal, and un till you shoot at it, there is nothing else you can focus on.

SACK RACING:

It might sound childish, to have both your legs dressed in a sack and running around like a nursery child, but it is one way to release a reasonable amount of cholesterol from the body.

tests your competing spirit and creativity.

OMWEESO:

It uses a board with holes and beads.locally coffee was used for this particular game.

Just like chess, Omweeso is a mind game,usually acompanied by refreshments under the evening sky, it is agreat way to get to know eachother and interact better.

ZIPLINING:

The first time i went zip-lining at Sky-bliss Kikoni, taking on a 150(metre) line,i thought i had seen it all, until i was challenged with a 300(metre)zip-line at Forest park Buloba.

Forest Park is a cozy recreational centre off Mityaana-fortportal road, in a village called kiwumu,6km (10minutes)from Busega.

the recreational centre stretches on alarge piece of land,which makes a number of activities like,hiking,bird watching,(crested cranes and egyptian geese) possible.

Not forgetting the amazing egyptian scultures, which they say symbolizes beauty and good for historical archives.

The place owns a man made lake, on which kayaking and boat peddling is possible under supervision,not forgetting sports like boat racing and fishing.

Above the man made lake is. a 300 metre zipline that i had to take on after taking on an obstacle course.

Zip-lining is always put after the obstacle courses because it signifies the bliss after conquering challenges in any given course.

As blissfull as it maybe,it is still not a joking subject.

my instructor, Mukimbili Noah,first offered me a head gear before he started explaining the benefits of Ziplining,he said, as much as many people are nervouse about the idea of ziplining, some thinking they might throw up in the process, zip-lining to him is still one of the top notch activities!

BENEFITS OF ZIP-LINING

The obstacle courses at the beginning of the zip-lining challenge, are a test of bravery, they help the participant exercise their bodies keeping them healthy and physically fit.

It helps the participant to fight their fears, especially for individuals with height phobia.

SAFETY:

In a place like Forest park Buloba, Noah says they forts have to offer the participant a disclaimer form,which helps you out line your health isuues.

Pregnant women are not allowed to zipline aswell as people with pressure illness.

He continues to ascertain that they first have to do a thorough weight check on the participant because the zip-line has some limited kilograms it carries.

All that said he introduced a harness to me as one of the safety gears meant to keep me safe up there,

The harness has two carribinos, which the participant uses to hook them selves on the safety wires as they climb up.

before you start climbing, you have to make sure your carribinos are loose enough to help you grip and un grip them easily.

Once you reach the zip-line, the next thing is to attach your carribinos to a pully and make sure the notes are properly tied.yeah you have to double check that!

Take your time to let go and let your self free.

MY EXPERIENCE:

My experience enjoying leisure activities at Buloba Forest park.

For over 3 minutes i couldn’t believe i was going to be literally floating on top on the water body, it looked like direct suicide.said a number of prayers and even sent greetings to my family through my camera man!

But i had come so far to get here, some how i had to conquer my fear and let go, so i dit it, first i sat dangling in the air with a million thoughts, and then i let go.

Before i reached the middle of the Zip-line i had lost all my fears, and up there is where i wanted to stay, it was like swimming through the air, literally below me laid a water body.

And thats how i conquered my fear of heights.Looking forward to a longer Zip-line, this time in mabira Forest i guess!

However the list of leisure activities in Uganda is endless.

I prefer it local(a poem)

Jack williams offered me a ride in his Benz the other day but I would rather hold hands with you under the moonlit sky,on the sides of the tarmac road meandering through the Rwenzori ranges.

We ordered for steak at La French restaurant,but my mind kept remembering the aroma of Eshabwe we used to feast on with roasted bush meat.

We danced to slow music just the way elites do,but my mind went back to the nights we danced to Awilo longoba around the bonfire .

I can’t seem to forget the look on his mates faces when they heard my bold accent,and I missed how free I was around you .

I prefer it local…

Community tourism

When we talk about tourism,we always envision the fun we could get at the end of the day,and we forget the little details on the way,for instance,the roads that lead us to our much anticipated destinations, probably could be the reason as to why at the end of the day we come back thinking ‘oh this place is overrated’.

You might call it the African massage,it is great to find amusement in not so good experiences,it helps you appreciate the simple things.

The saddening issue here is how the communities haven’t actually benefited much from the resources, nature endowed them with.

Every individual has capacity to make change, where ever they go,and if only we could venture more in purposefull tourism,transforming communities we visit and helping them learn how to make a living out of the resources at their disposal,I think together we can make uganda beautiful for all of us🇺🇬

The human-wildlife conflict

My heart felt connected to this one Amaphrodite chimpanzee Kiri at the Entebbe zoo.

poor thing had been isolated by his/her mates and the Public relations officer for the Conservation centre Mr.Eric Ntalo was asking for help from well wishers to provide for it’s well-being.

so I wanted to solist money from people I know,but I was overwhelmed by the level of misinformation circulating in the public, some bluntly saying “let it die,what does it help us?”

My poor heart sunk at these statements because clearly the public was not aware of the benefits of conserving wildlife.

According to Diana Kibuuka a veteran journalist at CBS fm and a volunteer at Uganda wildlife Education and conservation centre,animals have feelings,their emmotions can be seen once angered or treated well.

They have a way of entertaining themselves and have politics amongst themselves,to her being around animals is a way of escaping the daily routine,they are creatures you can communicate to without holding anything back.

Wildlife in general is essential for the well being of humanity, without it man could cease to exist,whereas man’s absence can’t stop wildlife from flourishing.

In nutshell we need wildlife more than it needs us.

Animals are animals they don’t know whether your trying to protect them or not,but we can try to live in harmony with themby staying in our lane.

According to the Public relations officer Uganda Wildlife authority Mr. Hangi Bashir,the public benefits outrageously from the existence of wildlife life.

When tourists come to the country,boda boda riders get customers,muchomo sellers along the highways get customers,the government earns revenue and rangers get direct employment.

Unfortunately poaching has existed for a long time leaving so many endangered species at the verge of extinction,for instance Rhinos which only exist at the Uganda wildlife Education and conservation centre in Entebbe and Zziwa Rhino sanctuary in Nakasongola.

Man’s role was to watch over and protect the earth,the way God had it created, however his greed has dismantled the ecosystem,wetlands being encroached on for “development” and forests being cut down without replacement.

The repurcations for such uncalculated moves surface over time,through global warming,loss of marine life,and a reduction in human life span.

The Uganda wildlife Authority has a toll free number(+256414355000) or contact them through their website(http://www.ugandawildlife.org/ incase of citing rampant animals,the rescue team will be at your service.

Poaching and illegal possession of wild animals and their different body parts is punishable in the courts of law by 12years imprisonment except you have proof that it was self defence.

The Uganda wildlife Authority has continuously shared 20% of the park gate collections with the communities sorrounding these conservation areas,which has continued to improve livelihood in these communities.

However the ministry has a compensation plan for properties damaged by runaway animals.

Who were the Chwezi?

For a long time there has been so many stories surrounding the mysterious beings most people referred to as spirits. The Chwezi were rather a highly intelligent tribe of people whose intellect confused so many lay minds and they concluded they were spirits.

The Chwezi were descendants of the Batembuzi whose rule was ended by the head of the palace guards Bukuku.

According to Ignatius Businge a tour guide at the Amabeere ga Nyinamwiiru historical site in Nyakasura Fort portal, Legend has it that, When Isaza the last king of the Batembuzi went to search for his lost cow, in the caves even though many people say it was beneath the ground, Bukuku sent palace guards who caught him off guard and killed him from there.

Before this unfortunate incident, Isaza had fallen in love with a beautiful maid Nyamata, and she had conceived, however they had decided to keep it a secret because it was embarrassing for a king to fall in love with a maid.

Nyamata gave birth to a son and they named him Isimbwa.

Bukuku did not have a son, his only child was Nyinamwiiru, who he gracefully made the leader of all the servants in the kingdom when he took over the leadership and they adored her.

The respect the servants had for Nyinamwiiru at times made Bukuku jealousy, so jealousy that he started consulting witchdoctors about his future on the throne.

They told him the child his daughter would bore will be the death of him and this made Bukuku furious, so furious that he ordered guards to cut off his daughters breast, and unpluck one of her eyes that she becomes so ugly so that no man could ever fall for her.

He wanted to prevent her ever conceiving!

What he did not know was that Nyinamwiiru had already fallen in love with Isimbwa the son of Isaza and Nyamata and she was already with child.

Whe he found out she was already carrying a child, he ordered the gurads to kill the child when she gave birth, but the servants loved Nyinamwiiru so much to do that, instead they took the child and threw him in a cave.

Fortunately one Porter, Rubumbi, found the innocent child and took him up as his own, however he did not give him a name until he had grown up.

When the boy was of age, he named him Ndahura because he was a stubborn young man,he didnot allow anyone to graze their cattle from the stream where he was raised,it didnot matter whether they were from the palace.

When Bukuku heard about the boy who had denied his cows chance to drink from the stream he came down to the stream to see for himself who the brave young man was.

He pulled out his spear and threw it at him, but fortunately Ndahura dodged it and instead threw it back at Bukuku.

When Nyinamwiiru heard of the demise of her father, she came down to the stream to see who the brave man was to kill the king.

The porter Rubumbi, explained how he came to have Ndahura and the guards confirmed it was Nyinamwiirus lost son.

Nyinamwiiru was happy to be reunited with her lost son, however she was sad she had lost her father.

After a decade, Ndahura was crowned king but rather he refused to takedown the Batembuzi legacy, he said he came from the moon in local language(omweezi) and his tribe will be called the Ba Chwezi.

Like Ndahura the Chwezi were crafty men and women, they introduced the Board game ,(omweeso) using empiki seeds that grow on a wild banana plantation, they conquered many territories forming the Chwezi empire and iron smelting.

because of their extra ordinary craftmanship, ordinary people called them spirits.

The Chwezi were cattle herders, and they never stayed in one place for too long, because they had to look for greener pastures for their cows.

The mystery was in the way they always moved.

In the wee hours of the night, in order to avoid predator’s and enemies, the Chwezi would migrate without leaving evidence of their way abouts behind.

When other people woke up and found their homesteads gone,they concluded that they had disapeared.

Later after conquering most parts of Western Uganda and south Sudan, Ndahura died in Busongora.

The last king of the Chwezi dynasty Isingoma Rukidi Mpuuga Wamara moved away, in Rutooro they say omukama Yegoromoyire in the areas of lake Albert (Muttanzige/mwiitanzige).

The image above shows the breast like rocks at the Amabeere ga Nyinamwiiru site in Nyakasura Fort portal, believed to be the breasts that fed omukama Ndahura with the milky substance that comes out of them. However, geographically these rocks are called stalagmites and stalactites, they grow with time producing a milky substance called limestone. Over time the stalagmites and stalactites join to form pillars that later form cave walls.

Around here is believed to the the cave that Ndahura was thrown and where the porter Rubumbi found him.

Accomodations and destinations…

One of the most important things to look out for in a destination,are the accomodations and quiet a number of factors influence their worthiness to be chosen.

Any traveler at the end of the day would yearn for a serene environment with comfortable beddings to fall back to after visiting a healthy club for steam ànd sauna or maybe swim.

The other thing should mainly be food and good service plus the prices.

We live in an unstable economic state,that sometimes only favours the wealthy to enjoy the joy of traveling.

Fortportal is ranked the tourism city of Uganda,and therefore a number of outstanding accomodations are almost everywhere around the town,it makes it so hard to choose which one .

New Fortview Hotel however is located a few minutes off the kampala highway.

Standing on a quiet large piece of land,which makes a number of activities possible,from fishing to swimming,steam and sauna,a bar and restaurant and a camping site.

On top of all this the place is financially favourable catering for both the rich and the low income earners with a breakfast as part of the bedding fee!

Incredible right!

The stuff in this area are soft spoken and kind,making your stay unforgettable 😉

🇺🇬Now you know,nothing will stop you from taking on the pearl

I left a piece of my heart in Jinja…

The first time I went to Jinja quiet frankly I had the worst time!

I was a solo traveller with little knowledge about my destination,I wanted to document the culture of people in this area,tourist attractions and Jinja in general,my mistake was not knowing who to contact and for what,so I went back to kampala with a low spirit vowing never to return to Jinja, I thought it was overrated!

My urge to visit Jinja city again was induced by a tour guide called Amanya Kevin,he calls himself Amanya Owejinja,he works with a tour company known as Adventure network located at Mainstreet west of Jinja city or if you need to Contact them email: adventure network.fun@gmail.com

He wore Jinja proudly on his sleeves,his passion for Jinja lured me into giving the Eastern part of Uganda a second chance and it was worth it!

The thing about traveling is that it is about the experience you get while on the trip,the mood of the people you travel with carries a great impact on how you experience the whole journey.

It would matter less whether you visited the highest pick of Rwenzori Mountains as long as your company was not good you would still not enjoy.

Attitude before you set off also matters,for many times people set off with a biased attitude about their destination,and there is no way you will have fun that way.

As much as you might need solitude,I still think you would need a tour guide,tour guides have knowledge of the places and can make life easier for you on a trip.

Be flexible while traveling,take each moment the way it unfolds,traveling is about creating moments,there is no bad place,it’s what you do there that makes the difference!

With the help of Amanya,we accessed the kingdom Ministry of tourism facilities and also visited Igenge palace one of the most beautiful palaces in East Africa.its located on top of Igenge hill Butembe Chiefdom in Busoga,the breeze of the cool atmosphere is a breathtaking experience.

The high light of the day was Busowoko falls,a magnificent View of water dashing through the rocks,

activities like kayaking,water rafting take place in this area

Not forgetting the breath taking site of the cultural troup dancing amakina amasoga (the Basoga cultural dance).

MAFIA STATE V

I am not trying to play saint here,but my intentions to join the political arena were completely different from those of my predecessors.

The opposition had spent years and years claiming to be in a ‘struggle’ to over throw a ‘dictator’,what they didn’t realize was that they were upcoming dictators in the making.

Each term new political parties sprouted with the same agenda to over throw a tyrant,but they were I guess too proud to sit on a round table and come up with one opposition candidate.

Everyone wanted to be independent’ everyone thought they had the best vision for the country but the wanainch had seen it all,each compaign candidates came and promised them heaven but turned around and didn’t look back untill the next general election.

My colleagues thought I wanted to dine with the pacemakers on their dinner table as they discussed issues that would help the poor.

Their state cars were always serviced using the tax payers money,prepared meetings in glamorous hotels in the city, before the discussions would start,their tables would be served with starters and drinks,and as the discussions went on a buffet would be served with a classy menue,spanish omlets,fried fish,french flies,local luwombo name it,all they had to do was point and they would be served.

It didn’t matter whether they had discussed aslong as their signature appeared on the attendance list,they would be sure of a heavy ‘envelope'(facilitation for attendance) immediately after the desert.

And so they would drive back home,with heavy stomachs and too tired to give feedback to the crowds they represented!

They splashed mud upon their supporters every morning as they rushed to grab a front seat in the discussion room throwing some of the road with their deafening sirens.

I wanted change,I wanted a leveled ground for every individual,I hoped many young people wouldn’t have to make wrong decisions like I had because they had no option,I hoped young people would be sure to get jobs after graduation regardless of their tribes and social standards.

If a few people would earn wealth from cannabis,why not everyone, of course I wanted to legalize cannabis with regulated usage,after all something is only evil if it has been restricted.I believed people would heed to sensitizations we would give and everyone would benefit.

I guess you are wondering how I got here,how I ended up like this.

It all started 35 years ago…..

MAFIA STATE IV

For the following few weeks,news of the untimely death of the patriotic officer Mr. Opolot circulated all media stations,investigations were carried out,posters of the fugitives according to ‘eye-witnesses’displayed in different newspapers, different individuals were parraded before the public, claiming their appearances suited those of the sketches the police had been searching for.

I watched the pedestrians gazing at the headlines of the news papers,by the roadsides each morning as I headed to school,and in the evening,I would put on my dark blue hood,to supply cannabis to my loyal customers.

For a moment the clubs seemed to be in a free world , Aphande Opolot,was now out of the picture,there was no one to monitor the clubs!

After a month of investigations and endless interrogations of ‘would be culprits’my attention was caught by an overwhelming huge number of newspaper spectators one morning as I was heading to school,leening closer to check,i was startled by a broad headline in almost all the news paper on display,”CITY TYCOON DISPLACES RESIDENTS OF NAMEERE DIVISION WITHOUT NOTICE!”

I bought my self a copy and packed it my bag.

Later that day as I sat at the school cafeteria, I read about a city tycoon who had destroyed over 1000 homes of residents who he claimed were on his land illegally.

He had development plans to put on the piece of land and so he wanted them off immediately.

Tormenting images of young children and helpless women rolling on the ground begging for help as tractors graded their homes.

The area member of parliament was no where to be seen in that sagga, apparently he had joined his party for a two weeks retreat.

And that’s how the case of the murdered officer was abandoned by the press.

The public was concerned with the current developing story,as the helpless residents ran to court to plead for justice.

The government offered them tents that had been donated by the human rights body UNHCR and a lawyer to defend them,and the court hearings started.

His majesty the judge took it upon him to survey the land,along with lawyers from both sides,he demanded to see the land titles on which these individuals had acquired plots of land,and they looked angaz.

“the original copies were destroyed in the demolition of our houses” they claimed and as much as their excuses sounded reasonable, the judge didn’t seem to buy it.

He set a date for the final verdict and left the ruins.

A few weeks later the city tycoon was found innocent and the residents found guilty of illegal acquisition of land,they were given a month to leave the land and no compensation for the destroyed properties!

MAFIA STATE III

Once you get your self entangled in the drug Cartel business,there is no way to cut loose and still keep your breath,it is a life time commitment,I had not thought about that when I gladly jumped into the truck like a hungry dog that had just been offered a fresh bone.

Money was dangled in my face and the poverty I had witnessed growing up pushed me to accept without reading the terms and conditions.

The Inspector general of police,Mr.Kaleekyezi was the model of society,many young people looked up to him,they loved how he vowed to fight crime on television and radios!

I was caught between emmotions, perplexed at the idea of him being the master mind still in the illegal business.

“the rules will change a little young man,” he started as he got closer to where I stood.

“the artists help alot in distribution of these goods,in concerts they throw abroad and inland”he continued.

“your duty will be supplying to them and making sure they pay!”he said finally gazing into my red eyes.

“Omar you will handle our other clients!”he said as he turned away to leave.

The officer who had brought us here came back after Mr. Kaleekyezi had left the room and blind folded us again,the next time my eyes were opened I was at my doorway with a bag of what I supposed would be the goods.

I went to bed that night with a lot on my mind, I had no clue on how I was supposed to handle my new world,I pondered and pondered untill angels came and carried me off to slumber land.

By 7:00am I was up,my sleep was interrupted by concerned whispers of my neighbors,living in the ghetto,we had no boundaries.

I turned on my medium sized sony television,and I was startled by the overwhelmingly sad news of the passing of Aphande Opolot,he had been murdered in cold blood,a few minutes away from his home.

Saddening images of the patriotic officer laying in a pool of his own blood circulated all the local TV stations.

A few months back he had bragged about how he was so close to finding the leaders of the drug cartels in the city!

His office had been raided,and apparently all the proof had been destroyed.

As the Inspector general of police,it was officer Kaleekyezis’ duty to address the nation about the demise of his colleague.He vowed to to get to the bottom of the case,find the murderers who had taken the life of a great officer,and also make sure he completes his unfinished cases.

And I knew those were only but make beliefs…